The last few years for Simone Manuel have been pivotal. And while she’s on a significant global stage, still, very private. Simone is so often a first, and an only. Her achievements are as big as the ceiling she’s shattered, which is to say, seemingly infinite. What’s possible for her in and outside of swim, even bigger than that. Expectations for Tokyo 2020 were goalposts, constantly shifting, as Simone navigated a pandemic and a diagnosis of overtraining syndrome. She shouldered the weight of an entire community, as the nation reckoned with racism and racist systems that kept Black people from swim and so much more. Simone stands as a pillar for excellence and progress and change, but with that comes expectations and the pressure to win. The 2020 Olympics didn’t see her compete at the level of expectation. And that’s just the beginning of the story. TOGETHXR presents a short documentary that serves as a raw, honest exploration about what it means to be a first, to be an only — a ...